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Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. — Rabindranath Tagore

^{I erroneously posted this using my community account due to carelessness, the first post was already edited. I'll be more careful next time. BTW, ecency don't load images well.}

A Series of Birthday Celebrations on June 2024

Have you noticed that within your relatives, a fair number of people share the same birth month?

So this June, we usually celebrate our birthdays together at an agreed date. This time, my cousin hosted the event by the Camotes Sea along the beach of Utod.

Utod, is an old name which means a slice of a whole. Sitio Lago-Lago (Utod) now legally known as Guadalupe was once a neighborhood of Barrio Gabas along with Patag. Both sitios (neighborhoods) eventually separated from Gabas as standalone villages in 1920s and 1970s, respectively.

Right now, my relatives live in three different villages even if we are just a sprint away from each other.

I arrived at the site at 11 AM and they were still finalizing the setup. After going around the cottage, I climb up the attic to relax, since it was cool and windy up there even if the sun was scorching.

Cottage attic

The cottage has a very large dining area surrounded by local interior design, fit for a large gathering. It also have a tiny kitchen, a family room, and a decent bathroom.

	Behind the cottage is a larger outdoor kitchen having an elevated hearth, a weirdly deep kitchen sink, and a long barbecue grill.

It isn't a resort-feels, but is a traditional Filipino architecture in terms of seaside cottages. The materials are bamboos, Nipa shingles, concrete, and assorted tile designs.

The beach is negatively popular, but it wasn't disappointing at all!

Unleashing the Dragon Boat Racing Spirit

The cottage has two kayaks available for use. Although both can carry to riders, it is best to ride alone for safety.

Luckily, the waves were calm and forgiving for amateur seafarers, LOL!

Safety First! Life-jackets were also available for safety.

Since the lengths of the eastern beaches of Baybay are considered as a marine sanctuary, the fishermen fish further at a distance.

Little styro buoys floats to delineate restricted areas for fishing, and these became our targets.

The first buoy from the beach was still manageable and so was the second buoy found further into the depths of the sea. However, the waves were noticeably bigger that could overflow inside the kayaks.

	An advice is not to paddle strongly when changing direction parallel to the waves, but so far, it wasn't that dangerous.

Further away, you could talk with the fishermen and ask them questions, like: "What types of fishes are you catching right now?", "Do you sell them or is it for consumption?", and "What is the current prices of freshly caught fish?"

I know, they are cliché questions, HAHA!

After a while, you could lay down the kayak for a rest since it would take another set of strength to get past the 2nd and 1st buoys, then back to the beach.

The Satiating Warmth of the Dying Sun

The fiery sunset is always the star of the show!

As the day ended, the sun fervidly burns in grandeur, whew... poetry? HAHAHA!

Guadalupe (Utod) Seascape

Slowly, the lights from homes illuminate the seascape.

Although the sun was going away, the sea remain calm and warm.

The guest one-by-one started to go home, while we remained until the night where we shared more stories and tequila shots.

The wine tower was re-filled with crazy mixes as soon it get exhausted. It was all the the all-time fave Fundador, Gin Pom, Tequila-Margarita, and RPG. Luckily, they didn't finish it with the Destroso cocktail, or we won't have arrived home that night!

We used to gather around as kids every summer and holiday, but right now we have existed for 30 decades already.

As adults now, we now get a chance to binge and splurge, but with our close-knit families.

	When beaches are just a walk away, we usually don't think about it all the time. Yet sometimes, a simple message means you'll end up drunk in the beach any time of the day.

Truly, as adults we were all busy in our separate lives.

Some can't come because they can't file a leave, or they are working very far away.

These small get-together is always a good time to reminisce the past while also share what individual plans are in line for the future.

We weren't suppose to stay until the night, luckily the owner allowed us to stay longer.

The whole city did had a short brownout, but it came back a few minutes later.

	So my phone got wet when I brought it offshore, and look at the Dolphin Bokeh it made in the dark.

So far, I am already satisfied with my summer break.

I'll be fully free for two months before the school starts again, so I'm hoping for more summer outings and sunsets.

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About Me

@oniemaniego is a software developer, but outside work, he experiments in the kitchen, writes poetry and fiction, paints his heart out, or toils under the hot sun.


	Onie Maniego / Loy Bukid was born in rural Leyte. He often visits his family orchards during the summers and weekends, which greatly influenced his works.